


Binary Star

by Quintet



Category: Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Action, Drama, Established Relationship, F/F, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:55:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23961115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quintet/pseuds/Quintet
Summary: In order to grasp happiness, one needs the strength to face tomorrow.  Two girls who sought the power to survive reunite once more in order to justify the paths that they've chosen, both to each other and to themselves.
Relationships: Ayano Rika/Isuzu Ren
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	Binary Star

**Author's Note:**

> I would recommend those who don't play Magia Record to read or watch Kyouko's first Magical Girl Story to give this story some context. Or don't. Only you can decide how you live your life.

_< Help! Please, help me!>_

Sunset on the streets of Shinsei Ward saw the greatest flow of the city’s humanity, as hundreds of perfectly ordinary people drifted to and fro in their daily lives. Yet the cry that pierced through all of the ambient urban noise was only heard in the shadow of a stationary shop, nestled in an alleyway. There, a single girl heard a voice in her mind, as loud as if the speaker were right next to her. 

_ <C’mon, help me already, dammit!> _

After making sure she was alone, Ren summoned a dark-blue gem from the ring on her finger. Within its depths was a small red light, moving quickly in one direction. It made sense: a normal human could find refuge in a crowd, but any Magical Girl who used her powers in the light of day risked breaking the ultimate taboo among their kind. If the voice was who she thought it was, she could only help her as a human. Ren approached the main street.

“Get… back here…! Thief!” The bullish roar echoed down the street, and this everyone heard. The crowd rumbled, then hurried to part before another girl, running as if her life depended on it. As the girl flew past, Ren briefly caught a flash of red hair. Peeking around the corner, she saw the pursuer, his dainty apron fluttering around his large frame as he charged through the crowds. She wasn’t sure what to do, but she had to do _something_. 

Just as the man’s heavy footsteps approached, Ren suddenly emerged onto the main street, as if she were a ghost suddenly phasing into existence. By the time the man saw her, it was too late for him to stop his momentum, and the impact sent Ren sprawling to the ground. 

“Hey, what the hell are you doing!?” As Ren was helped to her feet by a passerby, she saw the man glaring at her. At this point, the thief had definitely vanished. “Hey, I’m talking to you! You’re in cahoots with that little shoplifter, aren’t you?” 

“Owww… thank you… I’m fine, yes.” Ren turned back to the shopkeeper. “I’m so sorry…” Her voice was weak, and her big blue eyes filled with tears. “Please… I didn’t…” Ren saw the shopkeeper’s furious expression curdle into a mix of guilt and shame. 

“Tch. Just watch where you’re going next time.” With that, the man hurried back to his shop. 

Ren glanced down and gasped; on the ground alongside her bags was scattered several colored pencils. After hurriedly picking them up, she unzipped her schoolbag and reached into a familiar pocket. With trembling hands she pulled out her treasure, her pencil case, and ran her fingers across its engraved surface, checking for cracks or scratches. Satisfied that it wasn’t damaged, she carefully placed it back in her bag before she heard the voice in her mind again. 

_ <Over here, behind the burger joint. Make sure nobody's following you.> _

In the shadows of the lot behind the Sunny Days Burger, Ren found a familiar face leaning against the back wall. Kyouko's tensed posture relaxed, and she revealed a brown paper bag from the folds of her sweater. Wisps of steam drifted from the opening. 

“Took ya long enough.” Kyouko reached into the bag and pulled out her spoils: a pair of golden fish-shaped pastries. “Catch,” she said, tossing one to Ren, “You really saved my ass back there. Thanks.”

Ren watched Kyouko bite into the head of her _taiyaki_ , barely swallowing it before taking another mouthful. A tempting aroma filled her nose with a promise of sweetness as she held her own pastry in her hands. Its freshly-baked warmth radiated through her hands and up her arms, warming her body up in the chilly October air.

Kyouko frowned at the criminally-uneaten snack. “Hey, it’s gonna get cold. Are you--” 

“Um…!” Kyouko stopped chewing and sighed. “Um… did you really steal these?”

Kyouko’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah. I was hungry, and I didn’t have any money, so I stole ‘em. Got a problem with that?”

Ren hadn’t put much thought into it at the time, but Kyouko had worn the same outfit-- a well-used teal hoodie and jean shorts-- during their first meeting too, despite both times having been just after a school day. Shortly after that encounter, she had heard rumors of a vagrant Magical Girl from Kazamino who was cutting down Witches left and right. 

After a moment of consideration, Ren took a tiny nibble out of the tail end of her _taiyaki_. The red bean paste filling was hot enough to burn her tongue, but it was sweet and delicious.

“Good, ain’t it?” Kyouko smiled, a few crumbs hanging off of her lips. “Can’t hit that stand anymore though. Geez, I haven’t screwed up like that for years. Well, whatever.” Kyouko wiped her face with her sleeve, and when her face reappeared her smile had hardened a little. “Anyway, glad to see you’re still alive. How’s it been?”

Sometimes it was hard for Ren to imagine the _her_ who Kyouko had met a year ago, if she had really been alive at all. In her naivete she had proclaimed that she would end all of the malice and suffering in the city, but just minutes later she could only cower in fear as the veteran effortlessly carved up the Witch that had nearly killed her.

“You can’t even save yourself, so the idea of you saving other people is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

It was a cruel truth, but truth nonetheless. On a day utterly devoid of color, she had come to learn how weak she truly was. But an angel with golden hair had found her, and had lifted her up from the abyss of despair. Bit by bit, color by color, Rika had shown her a life worth living, and eventually they had decided to live that life together, side by side. 

But Ren suspected that Kyouko had little interest in the flowery prose of her love life.

“I met somebody… who’s very important to me. She’s my gir- um… my best friend. She helped me find a reason to keep on living. Thanks to her, I’m a lot stronger now… both as a Magical Girl, and as a person, yes.”

“Are ya, now?” Kyouko looked her up and down. “Well... you’re standing up a little straighter. And this crazy city hasn’t eaten you alive yet, so you must be doing something right.” She gestured at Ren’s _taiyaki_. “C’mon, eat up before it gets cold.”

Ren indulged herself. The pastry was a crispy golden brown on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside, melting in her mouth together with the sweet filling. With every bite, a gentle warmth filled her body. Surely, something like this would bring a smile to Rika’s face, something warm and bright that they could share together…

“Oi.”

Ren snapped out of her fantasy, hoping that she hadn’t made some strange face. “Um… thank you. For the meal, I mean.”

“Heh, don’t mention it. It’s nice to have a full stomach, right? Anyway, you didn’t just call me over here for lunch, right?”

Word of Kyouko’s adventures had spread in the year or so since she had first set foot in Kamihama. Rika’s senpai Hinano had requested a meeting through her chain of connections as Chuo Ward’s unofficial leader on Ren’s behalf. If Ren had actually told Hinano what she wanted to discuss with the girl from Kazamino, she would’ve definitely forbidden it.

“Yes… please, follow me. I’m familiar with this area.” Her heartbeat, the battle hymn of life pulsing through her body, gave her courage. 

* * *

In Shinsei Ward new towers of steel and glass, monuments to urbanization, seemed to trace new skylines before Ren’s very eyes. Someone not used to the city could easily get lost in the expanding maze of streets, so Kyouko was content to follow a few steps behind Ren. Between occasional fiddles with her phone Ren glanced back at Kyouko, whose gaze was turned up at the orange-tinted clouds. As Ren navigated side streets shrouded in dusky shadows, the crowds of people gradually thinned out until only a lonely autumn breeze kept the two girls company.

“Ya know,” Ren heard behind her, “That was a pretty good act you put on back there.” Ren gasped. “Actually running into that guy was kinda overkill, but the tears were a great touch. You sure you haven’t done this before?”

“Wait… I didn’t really… it really was an accident, I didn’t mean to-”

“Yeah, that’s what I told myself the first couple of times. ‘I just forgot to take it outta my pocket.’ ‘I’ll pay that guy back when I get some money.’ ‘I’m really hungry, so just this one time.’ But it gets easier to be honest with yourself. And it’s not like God’s gonna turn the stones to bread, so it’s either me or them.”

“Well, that’s…”

“Heh, relax. I’m just teasin’ you a bit.” Just like that, the weight in Kyouko’s words evaporated. “It’s obvious you’re a real goody-two-shoes. But I guess there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Do you… consider yourself a bad person?”

“Huh? What kinda question is that?” Silence. “Well if I had to answer, I guess I probably am.”

Ren looked back at Kyouko once again. It had dimmed, but the flames in her red eyes burned with a familiar light. Something flickered in her memory.

“I’m a disgusting human being, aren’t I?”

That unforgettable day, Ren had seen how Rika’s passions had turned on her own heart in self-immolation. She had seen the tears Rika thought that she had hidden so well. She knew that Kyouko was a different person, but she still wanted to understand her, and to be understood in turn. If she couldn’t get her feelings across, then it would be the same as allowing this cycle of pain to continue.

Ren’s footsteps slowly came to a stop.

“I think… that stealing is wrong. But I think that being alive is more important than being right or wrong. I don’t really know what you’ve been through… but if you’re just trying to survive, then I don’t have the right to judge you.”

Kyouko’s expression lightened. “Hmph. It’s nice to meet someone who finally gets it.”

“But…!”

“Hm?” 

“Letting Familiars grow into Witches… letting Witches hurt people for our sake... I can’t… I won’t accept it. Even if I can’t rid this city of malice… even so… I want to help whoever I can, yes. And…” She took a deep breath, then looked Kyouko in the eye. “I won’t let anyone stop me.”

“So that’s how it is, huh?” With a wave of her hand, Kyouko’s Soul Gem materialized in her grasp. “Did ya think that you were leading me into some kinda ambush? We both know there’s a Labyrinth here!” A blaze of light burst from the jewel and materialized into a crimson dress and spear. Spinning the spear in her hands, she pierced what to an untrained eye may have looked like empty space. Instead, the air around the tip of her spear twisted into a black sigil featuring a satellite.

“The first day we met… you told me that if I could become strong enough, then I could believe in whatever I wanted.” Blue light filled Ren’s body, transforming her school uniform into a flowing white kimono. “Inside this Labyrinth is a Familiar. I’m going to destroy it.” With that, Ren stepped into the barrier.

 _Falling. Elevators rising into an infinite dark, coasting on radio waves. Unreadable forecast. The colors of distant skies judge the living with impartial cruelty._

Ren found herself on a platform travelling on a rainbow track across a sky cut cleanly into night and day. Ahead of her, steel beams twisted themselves into some blasphemous interpretation of a tower. Hanging from one of its arches was a lone paper doll, fluttering in the wind like a child’s forgotten rain charm, painted in colors no child could imagine and large enough to devour anyone who would tear it down. Its dance spun curses into a vortex of thunderclouds; it wouldn’t be long before it hatched into a Witch and spread its despair.

Ren leapt from the platform to the tower, weapon gripped tightly in hand. As Ren’s foot touched the steel structure, the Familiar turned, then lunged. Yet Ren didn’t even need to flinch. In an instant red chains erupted on all sides, both binding it in place and forming an impenetrable barrier.

“Ya know, stubborn girls like you are a real pain in the ass.” Kyouko’s voice rang out from above. She leapt atop the cage she had created, ignoring the fruitless struggles of her captive. “You’re a good girl, so I’ll give ya a warning: I’ve seen a lot of good girls dead.”

Ren stood firm, staff in hand.

“I’ve already died before. So that’s why… I won’t be afraid. You’re strong, and I’m weak. That’s why I’ll make a world… where you don’t have to be strong to live, where even people like me can live. That’s how I’ll survive.”

“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.” With her free hand, Kyouko reached into the folds of her skirt and pulled out a small box of snacks. Sticking one in her mouth, she took a battle stance. “If you want me to beat some sense into ya, I'm happy to oblige!”

In an instant Kyouko crossed the distance between them, spear in hand and a fierce smile on her lips. Ren barely managed to raise her staff in defense, and felt a tremendous force pushing her back. If she couldn’t push Kyouko off of her, she would lose the duel in the first blow.

But even if Ren didn’t always believe it, Rika had always told her that she was much stronger than she ever knew. And that was true, in more than one way. Ren felt the muscles in her legs hold firm, and felt through her arms the limit of Kyouko’s physical strength, matched it, and pushed. Shock registered on Kyouko’s face as she was shoved backward, a broken piece of her snack stick sailing into the void. She may have been a veteran Magical Girl, but her diet mostly consisted of junk food.

“Heh, not bad!” Rattling chains announced the flight of Kyouko’s spear even as its wielder fell back, becoming a steel serpent striking again and again. With every bite that Ren dodged came a horrible screech as it struck metal. The segmented spear was an extension of Kyouko’s arms, efficient in its movements yet merciless in its aggression. By now Ren had fought her share of Witches, but she was realizing that Kyouko had plenty of experience in fighting other Magical Girls. 

When Kyouko recalled her spear, Ren saw her opening. At her command, a ring of blue will-o-wisps flew toward her opponent, and before she could react the wisps converged and exploded into a dense, pale fog. With Kyouko caught in the trap, Ren’s staff fired several bolts of pale energy in her direction; even if Ren couldn’t see exactly where her opponent was, the missiles sought out hostile magic and homed in like vengeful spirits. The occasional flash of steel revealed Kyouko trying to defend herself, but low _whoosh_ es followed by grunts of pain told Ren that her attacks were hitting home.

Of course, Ren knew that someone as strong as Kyouko wouldn’t stay helpless for long. With a gust of wind the fog dispersed, revealing a black and red dervish with Kyouko at its center. Before Kyouko could launch a counterattack, Ren was already above her. Spinning her scythe with a practiced hand, Ren used its momentum to unleash a flurry of slashes at the veteran. With Ren now on the offensive, she could nullify Kyouko’s massive range advantage. As she pushed Kyouko back step by step, Ren grew more confident. But that left her unprepared for Kyouko’s next move. 

After parrying a strike with the butt of her spear, Kyouko sliced through the steel beam they both stood on. With a cacophony of groans and shrieks it gave way, and Kyouko fell into the bottomless sky.

“No!” Ren flung out her hand, but the girl had disappeared. 

Before she could take in what had just happened, she heard the cold clink of chains behind her. Kyoko’s spear, wrapped around the beam, contracted, carrying its wielder up with it. It had all happened in the blink of an eye; Kyouko was now above her, her spearhead poised for the knockout blow. 

“It’s over!” Kyouko called out. But in the instant of Kyouko’s triumph was Ren’s victory. She just needed to call her name. 

“RIKA!!”

Ren’s scream was answered with a glint of crimson. An instant later, a brilliant, burning light fell from the bisected sky. Even as Kyouko’s spearhead stopped an inch from Ren’s neck, they were both engulfed by a wave of intense heat.

“Crap!” Kyouko tried to duck out of the way, and fell to the ground. Flowering branches twisted around her ankle, holding her in place. She looked wildly at Ren, who only gazed at the light as if she were making a wish on a shooting star. “Oi, what the hell are you doing? Are ya tryin’ to kill both of us!?”

“Beautiful…” 

The beam flew above their heads and engulfed the cage that both bound and protected the Familiar, shattering everything in its ruinous blaze. The Familiar let out a piercing scream as it was burnt to ash. And as the remains of its papery body were scattered to the wind, the Labyrinth around them began to shimmer and fade before being replaced with reality. There, the two girls lay on the ground. 

As Ren struggled back to her feet, she found the tip of a spear staring her in the face.

“What the hell are you trying to pull here? And whoever your friend is, she’d better get her ass out here!” Kyouko leapt back as a third girl landed in between them. With blond hair alight in the setting sun, her red eyes blazed fearlessly as they stared into those of the spear-wielder. Rika’s mirror glowed with faint light as she held it at the ready.

“We’ve destroyed the Familiar, so there’s no reason to keep this up. Back off.”

Ren saw Kyouko glancing at the two of them, then at their surroundings. She was probably trying to gauge if she could take the two of them on in a real fight. Any spark could set the tension off like a bomb. Even if the sight of Rika ready to protect her made her heart pound, she needed to defuse the situation right away.

“Rika…!” Ren placed her hand on Rika’s shoulder, feeling her girlfriend’s body instantly ease up. “Please, calm down. This… this was all my idea.”

“She’s right.” Kyouko answered Rika’s confusion. “But this wasn’t part of the deal. You think getting a guard dog is gonna help you survive?”

“Dog? I’m not…!” Rika swallowed her retort as Ren stepped in front of her. 

“It’s not like that! It’s not like that at all. You see… what you told me before… you were right. I couldn’t save anybody, not even myself. But Rika… and so many other people… helped me find the strength to keep on going. I know that this world can be cruel, and unfair, but there’s plenty of beautiful, shining things in it too.”

“Yeah, totally!” Rika lowered her weapon and took Ren’s hand in her own. “I protect Ren, and Ren protects me. She’s saved me again and again, so I know that as long as I’m with her, I won’t lose!”

“Yes!” Ren felt her blood rushing to her face, but she bravely forged ahead. “That’s how I’m going to live my life. Rika… Rika is my strength!”

The two girls matched Kyouko’s piercing stare. A slight pain radiated into their wrists from their hands, gripping each other tight. Silence seemed to fill every nook and cranny of the abandoned alley. Kyouko stepped forward… and doubled over, clutching her belly, her laughter echoing around the block. She was laughing so hard she couldn’t hold her transformation any longer. Ren suddenly found it difficult to look anyone in their eyes.

“Haha, hah, holy freaking crap!” Kyouko gradually calmed down enough to get her words out. “That’s gotta be the cheesiest thing I’ve heard since… uh, never mind. You win, you win, just please spare me, will ya?” 

“Well that settles it, right?” Rika asked cheerfully, and de-transformed. Ren silently did the same behind her, shuffling behind her to hide her bright red face. “Uh, sorry I got all up in your face like that. But, it’s just that Ren…”

“Yeah, I think I get it.” Kyouko matched Rika’s smile. “You gotta protect what’s important to you, right? She’s a good girl, so it’s nice that she’s got someone looking out for her.”

“She really is, right?” Ren groaned in the background. “Oh, the name’s Rika, by the way.” 

“Kyouko. Kyouko Sakura. I live over in Kazamino.” 

“Kyouko… Kyouko…” Rika’s face lit up. “Oh, Kyouko! You’re the girl who saved Ren way back, right? Let’s see… you’re the type who acts all tough, but you’re a total sweetheart deep down, right?”

Kyouko glared at Ren. “Oi, what kinda crap have you been going around telling people about me?” Now it was Rika and Ren’s turn to start laughing. “Well, I must be going a bit soft myself. This city’s got a Witch around any corner, so it’s not like I need to farm Familiars to survive anyway.”

“That’s wonderful!” Ren smiled. 

“Ah, Ren?” Rika gazed into Ren’s eyes and watched them widen in expectation before giving her a sharp flick on the forehead.

“Ow!”

“Do you have any idea how worried I was? You told me you were just fighting a Familiar, but then I saw you fighting this super-strong girl! I was going crazy trying to hold myself back and wait for your signal. Even if it wasn’t a serious fight, you still could’ve gotten really hurt, or used up all of your magic! What’s fighting other girls gonna accomplish?”

“Hey, I blunted my spear and everything…” 

Rika ignored her and folded her arms. “Don’t ever do something like this again, alright? Or at least, not without telling me first. It makes me feel like you don’t trust me.”

“No! I didn’t mean to… I do trust you, Rika… I…” Tears began to fill those big, blue eyes, and Rika’s annoyance melted away. Ren could never know how unfair she could be.

“Ren… come here.” Rika took her into her arms and ruffled her hair. “You don’t need to prove yourself to me. We’re already side-by-side, right?”

“Yes…” Ren buried her head in Rika’s embrace. They stayed like that for a moment before hearing a small cough.

“Uh, should I leave you two alone for a bit?” Kyouko’s face was twisted into an awkward smile. Upon seeing it, the two lovebirds quickly separated except for their hands, which remained held tight.

“Ahem, uh, sorry ‘bout that. Yeeeah, I think it’s time that me and Ren got going. Thanks a bunch for helping Ren out. Seriously, I really owe you one. How about… I got it! Next time we run into each other, we can all grab lunch together. My treat.” 

“I’ll hold you to that. See ya.” 

With that, Rika and Ren waved goodbye and turned back toward the city. Kyouko idly chewed on another snack stick as she watched the girls slowly become silhouettes against the setting sun. Idle words drifted back to her on a lonely breeze.

“By the way Rika, there’s this _taiyaki_ stand…”

“...that sounds great, Ren! I’d love…”

Their voices slowly faded into the wind, blending into the distant ambiance. Only their vague outlines remained, growing closer with every step. In the shadows of the city, their lips met.

“So that’s how it is, huh?” whispered Kyouko. 

It was time to move on. The taste of sugar and salt, a promise of another tomorrow, was still on her lips; that was enough for her. And yet, she couldn’t deny the faint smile on her face. The embers of a forgotten flame had been smoldering for some time now, and as the night drew its curtain across the horizon, Kyouko felt them burn a little bit brighter.

Even if she didn’t know its name, she was never one to ignore a craving. The moment she pulled out her fossil of a flip phone, her fingers automatically scrolled down to a certain contact. After staring at the screen for a moment, she hit the call button. 

“Sayakaaaaa, I’m hungry.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's been quite a while! It goes without saying that a lot of stuff has happened these past few months; outside of this whole pandemic thing, I actually spent the first couple of months of 2020 recovering from getting hit by a car. But since I didn't get sent to a fantasy world filled with cute lesbians, here's a new fic.
> 
> Kyouko is super cool. She's my second-favorite of the original cast. The way continues to survive despite her traumatic past, and the way she fearlessly presses on even if she's contradicting herself are all super cool. I always though that her interaction with Ren in her Magical Girl Story was fascinating, so I wanted to expand on it. I really hope that I managed to capture that in this story.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and as always be sure to leave any critique, good or bad, in the comments! I truly appreciate all of it. Speaking of that, I'd like to give a shoutout to a particular anon on the /u/ Madoka general who gave a lot of feedback. You're a real one.


End file.
